Cruising to new heights

An increasing number of Australian tourists are heading to New Zealand and are preferring to cruise here rather than fly.

That's according to Ann Sherry, chief executive of Australian-based P&O Cruises, who was joined by Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key in Auckland on Friday to mark the start of the New Zealand cruise season.

Underlining her claim, super-liner the Star Princess berthed in Wellington today.

Carnival Australia's ships, owned by P&O Cruises, will make 158 port visits (including 20 port visits to Wellington) from October to March.

That total is up 50 percent from last season. Passengers are expected to spend about $80 million ashore.

Sherry attributes much of the increase in demand to Tourism New Zealand's advertising, in which the country is presented as "a much more interesting, edgy place to come, rather than a place to look at the scenery".

The age of people taking cruises had changed dramatically, she said. Traditionally cruises had been the domain of older people but now younger families with children were taking tours.

Given New Zealand was driving so much growth in the company, P&O Cruises said it would launch its next superliner service, aboard the Pacific Pearl, in Auckland on December 19 next year.

Sherry said New Zealand port owners, the Government and other industry stakeholders needed to play a part if the country's full potential as a cruise destination was to be maximised.

Key said tourism was an incredibly important sector in the country, representing 20% of the economy, and said the Government was pleased to be able to buy Queen's Wharf in Auckland because of the rapid growth in cruises.

Tourism would become even more significant, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News